All I Do
Crestfallen
The Queen of Detroit
Beverley Road
Manifest Destiny (in General)
The Declaration of Independence
Setting Your Head on Fire
The Industrial Revolution
Yo Yo Yo (Please Don't Fall in Love)
I Sleep Forever

All I Have to Do is Make You
Ill Advised
The Separation of Church and State

The song "If I am Charming" was originally supposed to be the fourteenth track on the album, but was dropped at the last minute. It was to have been track number 13, between "Ill Advised" and "The Separation of Church and State."

Pitchfork Rating: 8.4
I swear, some days it's like I can't even mention the name James Baluyut without hearing something about Versus. But now, Baluyut's ready to shut everyone up in fine style and just maybe get you to stop reminiscing about his full-time band for five goddamn minutes. Now listen closely, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once: Baluyut sets out solo for this effort as +/-, and if you were expecting pop, you got it, but this ain't exactly your daddy's Secret Swingers. Instead, Baluyut marries deliciously hott digital manipulation and Mille Plateaux beats to the upbeat, joyous pop songwriting that made him such a staple of the 90s college-rock circuit.

Baluyut's recipe here is straightforward enough: take simple acoustic pop sensibilities with warm electronic swells and undertones; add tight, complex percussion and distant vocal arrangements. But it's the small changes of focus between seemingly disparate elements that make Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut Album exceptionally varied. Each song is a subtle shift from the previous one as new elements continually rise to the fore and old ones are subdued or eliminated. And of course, it's all occasionally punctuated by startling bursts of white noise and alien effects. Yet despite its experimental nature, the pop song always remains the focus, drenched in perfect melody.

Even at its most jarring (which, to be fair, isn't very), Debut Album has a nice underlying tranquility. Synth chords mimic strings and sweep in over the opener, "All I Do," constantly building but never finally breaking, over Baluyut's lone, plaintive refrain. "Manifest Destiny (In General)" instantly distinguishes itself with a cascading, slightly dissonant piano melody and bouts of invading instrumentation before Baluyut is brought so close it feels as though he's singing from within the deepest recesses of your brain. In fact, it's at this moment that you realize Baluyut's vocals are Debut Album's single greatest asset. The thread that ties the record together, his lilting tenor is part lullaby, part lament, mournful and sleepy, conveying a genuine sense of conviction.

This record fits nicely into the canon of so-called "digipop," amongst releases like Notwist's Neon Golden and Hood's Cold House, but its artistic debts are owed to the Magnetic Fields' synth-crazy oeuvre. And while not perfect-- the vocal loop on "Yo Yo Yo (Please Don't Fall in Love)" is pretty upsetting-- its missteps are few and far between. The only real issue I take with Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut Album, is that it's a bit too removed at times. Some of these songs could benefit from a little intimacy, which is admittedly difficult to pull off in this kind of setting. But all told, this is an interesting direction for Baluyut that pays off more than it flounders. And with the advances recently made by digital editing software, his self-titled long-playing sophomore album stands to be just as rewarding.

- Eric Carr, Pitchfork

James Baluyut, formerly of Versus, collaborated with musician friends in 2002 on the self-titled +/-. Produced by Baluyut, the 13-track effort is a stunning debut from the leader of one of the 1990s' most influential indie rock bands. The music is remarkably more subdued than Versus, starting with the radiant "All I Do." Baluyut's vocals are more focused and subdued than his work in Versus, resulting in a powerful and disarming set of songs. The mix of guitars and electronics blend to result in an inventive and refreshing sound on songs like "Crestfallen" and "Setting Your Head on Fire." "Queen of Detroit" serves as an ode to Baluyut's mother, while the graceful guitar work on "Beverly Road" offers him an opportunity to experiment with hypnotic acoustic chords. "Yo Yo Yo (Please Don't Fall in Love)" serves as another remarkably inventive transformation for Baluyut. His evolution from hard indie rock virtuoso to experimental indie artist is similar to Yo La Tengo's James McNew's alter-ego in Dump. In the end, it's the unusual beats, electronic sample loops, and heartfelt vocals that make the debut from +/- so impressive and unique. Margaret McCartney, formerly of Tuscadero, and Pat Ramos, ex-Versus, also appear on the disc. The album was recorded in 2001 at Beverly Manor and Union Square studios and released in early 2002 on Teenbeat Records.

- Stephen Cramer, All Music

LAWSUIT

On November 10th, 2010, Teen-Beat and +/- {Plus/Minus} filed suit against Rhino Records U.K., Warner Music, and Peter Saville Associates in the High Court of Justice, London (U.K.) due to similarities in logo and design of the 2010 Joy Division box set "+-" to +/- {Plus/Minus}' "Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut Album".

INSERT: two one-page inserts printed on transparent vellum. First page has a "+" in metllic silver ink, second page has a slash in orange ink, tray card has a minus in metallic silver ink and spine information in orange and metallic silver.

INSERT: two one-page inserts printed on transparent vellum. First page has a "+" in metllic silver ink, second page has a slash in orange ink, tray card has a minus in metallic silver ink and spine information in orange and metallic silver.

INSERT: two one-page inserts printed on transparent vellum. First page has a "+" in metllic silver ink, second page has a slash in orange ink, tray card has a minus in metallic silver ink and spine information in orange and metallic silver.

INSERT: two one-page inserts printed on transparent vellum. First page has a "+" in metllic silver ink, second page has a slash in orange ink, tray card has a minus in metallic silver ink and spine information in orange and metallic silver.